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The General Services Administration is taking on the bulk buying of office
supplies for a third time. Late Friday, it released the request for proposals for OS3 under the Federal Strategic
Sourcing Initiative.

The solicitation is for four categories of office supplies: general office
supplies, paper, toner/ink and GSA On-the-Go, which is a lowest price, technically
acceptable section requiring expedited delivery of the order within four hours in
the top 10 metro areas by population.

GSA expects to make as many as 21 awards under the contract, which is estimated to
be worth $1.25 billion over five years.

The agency said it expects OS3 to save the government $65 million annually on
administrative costs plus an additional $90 million in annual savings captured
through lower prices.

"The new model, which eliminates an acquisition level of contracting (i.e. the
BPAs) is designed to leverage industry purchasing volume power and dynamic pricing
capabilities to the maximum extent, will increase internal efficiencies and our
effectiveness in supporting customer requirements, will increase small business
opportunity while lowering government costs and will increase savings to customer
agencies and ultimately, the taxpayer," GSA wrote in the solicitation.

GSA said it improved
OS3 over OS2 by increasing the number of awardees to 21 from 15 reduced data
reporting requirements and no longer requires companies to use the price reduction
clause.

The current office supplies contract expires in May. GSA said agencies are
expected to spend more than $800 million on OS2 by the time it ends.

Proposals are due March 17.

IT Job of the Week: Director of Network Services Program at GSA.

You want to be in charge of NS2020? What about the Networx telecommunications
program? Well, GSA has your position. The Director of Network Services Program is all things
telecommunications for the government. The person will review and manage policy,
develop strategic and tactical plans and communicate and advocate for the
program's mission. The last permanent director was Karl Krumbholz, who left GSA in
2011. Frank Tiller has been acting since 2011. The job remains open until Feb. 24.

Out & About: Congress is back in session and several committees are looking
at data breaches.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will host a hearing Tuesday titled,
"Privacy in the Digital Age: Preventing Data Breaches and Combating Cybercrime."
It features public and private sector experts, including Federal Trade Commission
Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and William Noonan, the deputy special
agent in charge of the Criminal Investigative Division, U.S. Secret Service.

The
House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday holds a hearing on border security
IT systems, featuring Charles Armstrong, the assistant commissioner of the
Office of Information and Technology for the Customs and Border Protection
directorate.